The present invention relates to a transferring apparatus for a transfer press machine which includes a plurality of working stations. The working stations are provided with lower dies and upper dies cooperating to press workpieces, and arranged in a workpiece transferring direction. The apparatus sequentially transfers the workpieces between the working stations.
A conventionally known transferring apparatus of such type for a transfer press machine is known from Japanese Patent Application Laid-open No. 235310/86. This publication discloses a plurality of pairs of left and right carriages supporting opposite ends of cross bars which include suction cups for holding the workpieces. The carriages are supported on a pair of guide rails vertically movably disposed on the left and right sides of the working stations, so that cyclic motion comprising a longitudinal movement and a vertical movement is provided to the cross bars to sequentially transfer the works which are held by the suction cups.
In general, the working stations in the transfer press machine are disposed at equal distances, but in some cases, it is necessary to change some of the spacings between the working stations. However, in the above prior art transferring apparatus, the spacing between the sets of carriages in the transferring direction, i.e., the spacing between the cross bars including the suction cups are constant. It is impossible to accommodate to the press machine in which the working stations are disposed at non-uniform distances.